Eight mainline Pokémon role-playing games were released as native Nintendo 3DS titles: Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun, and Pokémon Ultra Moon. Nintendo lists all eight as compatible with Pokémon Bank. Beyond those eight, 3DS-family systems also play almost all Nintendo DS and DSi games, and Nintendo once sold the first two generations of Pokémon on the 3DS Virtual Console as digital downloads. Spin-off titles sit in a separate category.
The way each game reaches your system decides what you need to play it and which online features still apply, so this guide sorts the games by route rather than by generation alone.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
![Pokémon Ultra Moon - Nintendo 3DS (World Edition) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61KyifjYbfL._SL160_.jpg)
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Pokémon Ultra Moon - Nintendo 3DS (World Edition) [video game] | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Dual Pack - Nintendo 3DS Edition: DualPack Model: [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41+38Ql9T6L._SL160_.jpg)
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Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Dual Pack - Nintendo 3DS Edition: DualPack Model:... | $114.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Pokémon X | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Pokemon Sun - Nintendo 3DS Sun Edition | $48.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Pokémon Ultra Sun - Nintendo 3DS | $54.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The eight native Nintendo 3DS Pokémon RPGs
These are the mainline role-playing games made for the 3DS itself. Each one runs on the 3DS family of systems, and Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank compatibility listing names all eight.
| Game | Generation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon X | Generation VI | Native 3DS title. Nintendo’s 2013 release schedule lists a UK release date of October 12, 2013. |
| Pokémon Y | Generation VI | Native 3DS title. Same UK release date as Pokémon X in Nintendo’s 2013 schedule. |
| Pokémon Omega Ruby | Generation VI | Native 3DS title; a remake of Ruby and Sapphire, paired with Alpha Sapphire. |
| Pokémon Alpha Sapphire | Generation VI | Native 3DS title; paired with Omega Ruby. |
| Pokémon Sun | Generation VII | Native 3DS title; paired with Moon. |
| Pokémon Moon | Generation VII | Native 3DS title; paired with Sun. |
| Pokémon Ultra Sun | Generation VII | Native 3DS title; enhanced version of Sun. |
| Pokémon Ultra Moon | Generation VII | Native 3DS title; enhanced version of Moon. |
The UK release date for X and Y applies only to that region as listed in Nintendo’s schedule; this guide does not establish release dates for other territories.
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Nintendo DS Pokémon games on 3DS
DS Pokémon cards are not native 3DS titles. They run because the 3DS is backward compatible with the DS family, and they remain DS games in every other respect.
Backward compatibility covers almost all DS and DSi games
Nintendo states that almost all Nintendo DS and DSi games can be played on a 3DS-family system. That covers Pokémon DS cards generally, so a physical DS Pokémon cartridge is a valid option if you already own one.
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- World Edition - plays in English and works on any region 3DS system
- Comes with both a copy of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
The Game Boy Advance slot exception
Some DS software uses an accessory in the DS system’s Game Boy Advance slot. Nintendo excludes that software from the general compatibility rule, so check that a DS title does not depend on such an accessory before assuming it will run.
DS games that work with Poké Transporter
Nintendo names Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black Version 2, and Pokémon White Version 2 as sources for Poké Transporter, the tool that moves Pokémon into Pokémon Bank. Nintendo’s general backward-compatibility page is broader than this transfer list, so these four are the DS games named for transfers, not a full inventory of DS Pokémon titles that play on 3DS.
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- Fully 3D Pokémon world on Nintendo 3DS – Experience mainline Pokémon gameplay with fully 3D characters, battles, and environments for the first time in the series.
- New region & starters – Journey through the Kalos region and begin with one of three new starters: Grass-type Chespin, Fire-type Fennekin, or Water-type Froakie.
- New battle types & training options – Try Sky Battles and Horde Encounters, and improve your team with features like Super Training and other new training tools.
- Powerful new Pokémon & Mega Evolution – Encounter the majestic Legendary Xerneas and discover Mega Evolution, which temporarily powers up certain Pokémon in battle.
Virtual Console Pokémon games
The 3DS Virtual Console once offered the original and second generations of Pokémon as digital downloads. These were not game cards, and they are not a current purchase route.
| Game | Generation | Transfer note |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Red | Generation I | Named in Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank listing; Pokémon from the 3DS Virtual Console version could move into Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon. |
| Pokémon Blue | Generation I | Named in Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank listing, with the same transfer destinations as Red. |
| Pokémon Yellow | Generation I | Named in Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank listing, with the same transfer destinations as Red. |
| Pokémon Gold | Generation II | Named in Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank listing, with the same transfer destinations as Red. |
| Pokémon Silver | Generation II | Named in Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank listing, with the same transfer destinations as Red. |
| Pokémon Crystal | Generation II | Listed as a Poké Transporter source on Nintendo’s compatibility support page. Not named in the Bank listing above. |
Why Virtual Console purchases are closed
The 3DS eShop stopped accepting new purchases in 2023. Treat these six games as historical digital releases: you can only use them if they are already on a system you own, and they cannot be newly bought from the eShop.
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- Pokemon Sun will launch in the US November 18th, 2016 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Embark on a new adventure as a Pokemon Trainer and catch, battle, and trade all-new Pokemon on the tropical islands of a new Region and become a Pokemon Champion!
- Rated “E”; Everyone w/ Mild Cartoon Violence
Spin-offs and other Pokémon software on 3DS
Nintendo’s 3DS manuals index lists the following Pokémon titles alongside the mainline games and Pokémon Bank. The list is representative, not a complete record of every regional release, demo, or promotional download.
- Pokémon Art Academy
- Pokémon Battle Trozei
- Pokémon Dream Radar
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
- Pokémon Picross
- Pokémon Rumble Blast
- Pokémon Rumble World
- Pokémon Shuffle
- Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
- Pokédex 3D Pro
Online features, offline play, and Pokémon Bank
What the April 2024 shutdown changed
Nintendo discontinued online play and other online communication functions for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software on April 8, 2024. Offline features remain usable. Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter were listed at that time as exceptions that still had online service, and Nintendo said that could also end later. Nintendo also said purchased software and downloadable content could be redownloaded “for the foreseeable future.”
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- A new light shines on the Alola region!
- Take on the role of a Pokemon Trainer and encounter Pokemon, uncover new tales, and Unravel the mystery behind the two forms reminiscent of the legendary Pokemon.
- These new titles power up the Pokemon Sun and Pokemon moon content with new story additions and features, earning them the name “ultra!” another adventure is about to begin!
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- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Mild cartoon violence
Nintendo’s exact wording reads: “At 5pm PDT on April 8, 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication was discontinued for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, including software exclusive to New Nintendo 3DS.”
Pokémon Bank’s end date
Nintendo’s Support notice says Pokémon Bank will end service on Thursday, February 25, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST. After that date, moving Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME will no longer be possible. As of October 2026, roughly four months remain.
Nintendo’s exact wording reads: “Pokémon Bank, a Nintendo 3DS application that lets players deposit or withdraw Pokémon they have befriended in Pokémon titles on that system from online Boxes, will be ending service on Thursday, February 25, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST.”
Storage and cost
Nintendo’s 2014 Pokémon Bank listing gives a capacity of 100 boxes with 30 Pokémon in each, for 3,000 Pokémon in total. Nintendo Support also says Bank can be used at no cost since the 3DS eShop discontinued service. Nintendo says Bank is not currently available to download, so the practical route is an installed copy on a system you already use.
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How to check whether a game will work for you
- Identify the format. Native 3DS RPGs come on 3DS game cards. Nintendo DS Pokémon games come on DS cards. The first two Pokémon generations on Virtual Console exist only as digital releases.
- Confirm your hardware. Native titles need a 3DS-family system, which includes New Nintendo 3DS models and the 2DS. DS cards need a 3DS-family system with backward compatibility; check the Game Boy Advance slot exception first if the DS title uses a slot accessory.
- Decide whether you need Bank. If you want to move Pokémon into Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon, confirm that Pokémon Bank is installed and that you act before February 25, 2027.
- Search for physical copies by exact title. A useful search phrase is “Pokémon Nintendo 3DS games,” and exact titles such as Pokémon X or Pokémon Omega Ruby narrow the results. This guide does not cover current prices, stock, seller condition, or regional availability.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
